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Alumna Antjie Krog keynote speaker at UFS conference

22 November 2022 | Story Gerda-Marié van Rooyen

Antjie Krog at UFS — The award-winning writer, Antjie Krog, will be the keynote speaker at the International Hybrid Conference from 24 to 26 November 2022. This conference is a joint venture of the University of the Free State (UFS) Centre for Gender and Africa Studies and the War Museum.

The award-winning writer, Antjie Krog, will be the keynote speaker later this week at an International Hybrid Conference titled, The Unsung Heroines and Youth of South Africa: Violent Histories and Experiences of South African Women and Children during Wars, Conflicts and Pandemics. This conference – a joint project of the Centre for Gender and Africa Studies at the University of the Free State (UFS) and the War Museum – starts on Thursday 24 November and will be hosted at the War Museum in Bloemfontein and broadcast online. The three-day conference overlaps with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence and aims to assemble historians, academics, and other scholars researching the violent histories of not only women and children in the South African War but in other wars, conflicts, and pandemics as well.

Prof Krog, an Extraordinary Professor in the Faculty of Arts at the University of the Western Cape, poet, and author of Country of my Skull (among other books), is an alumna of the UFS, where she completed a BA degree with Afrikaans, Philosophy, and English. She will deliver her keynote address, Survival, Complicity, and Race: (Im)possibilities of Narrating and Interpreting Rape in Havenga Affidavits, on the first day of the conference.

Prof Heidi Hudson, Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS, will deliver her keynote address on Friday (25 November 2022). Prof Hudson is considered a specialist in feminist security studies. Her keynote address is titled Disciplinary and other stories: From women’s peace movements to the Women, Peace and Security ecosystem.

Several historians, academics, and scholars will either present their research or attend the conference. The conference aims to gather various stakeholders who are researching the violent histories of not only the women and children in the South African War, but other wars, conflicts, and pandemics in South African history dating from precolonial times to the World Wars, Apartheid, to the present. Each of the eight sessions over the first two days will conclude with time set aside for discussion.

The conference programme includes a visit to the art exhibition Unsung Heroes at the Oliewenhuis Art Museum on Friday after the last session. On Saturday, conference attendees can look forward to a tour of Bloemfontein. Click here for more information or send an email to vicky@anglo-boer.co.za.

News Archive

UFS unveils Women’s Memorial Garden

2011-08-12

The Women’s Memorial Garden, between the Main and Chemistry building, seen from the top.
Photo: Siegwalt Küsel

Our university rewarded the hard work of women at the university by unveiling a Women’s Memorial Garden at our Bloemfontein Campus on National Women’s Day, 9 August 2011. University Staff, students, some members of our Council and other guests gathered at the university for the unveiling of the new memorial garden.

Prof. Driekie Hay, Vice-Rector: Academic, told the somewhat 50 people at the unveiling that it was a historic day for the UFS, as this was a sign of how far the university have come. Prof. Hay told the women at the function to be proud of their achievements. She said the purpose of Women’s Day was to celebrate the historic struggle and sacrifices of all South African women, especially those who fought against racism and sexism.

The Women’s Memorial Garden consists of a botanical garden with more than 80 plant species. In the middle of the garden is a stone statue with a wild fig tree planted within. Prof. Hay told the guests that the tree’s numerous seeds represent unity and is an indication of real understanding, knowledge and faith, characteristics women at our university should pursue to ensure a sustainable and prosperous future for the UFS. The University leadership will now embark on a process to identify and recognise women from the university community who have made significant contributions during its 107 years of existence.

The memorial garden was designed by Habitat Landscape Architects. Mr Siegwalt Küsel, an architect at the firm, said the garden was developed to be a living monument to women. He said they hope that the garden will become an active learning space for visitors.

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